The COVID-19 pandemic is beginning to illustrate that those firms and lawyers who have already embraced technology in their day to day operations and future thinking are going to be the healthiest when we come out the other side. Here at PS we’ve spent almost 30 years speaking to luddite lawyers and Australia, I can assure you, when it comes to luddites is worse than most other jurisdictions.
So we cheer on the new and at this point of the proceedings say good riddance to those who have steadfastly ignored the 21st century and have tried to live in a world that disappeared at least 2 decades ago. It’s time for the old and infirm of Australia’s legal sector to either park the penny farthing and get on something more up to date or preferably give it up alltogether and let the young and engaged make the future what it should be for clients of the legal sector in Australia.
Also it’s about time the various legal bodies, associations, quangos and the like also get onboard with the real world.
Lawyers Weekly Australia writes….
NewLaw bucking the trend on firm cuts
Cuts not imminent in NewLaw
In conversation with Lawyers Weekly, the trio of Lawpath, Hive Legal and Sprintlaw all said they have not had to make any decisions regarding cuts to staffing or salaries, nor do they expect that such decisions are immediately forthcoming.
Law Squared founder Demetrio Zema appears to be similarly placed, noting that his firm is “actually doing really well”.
Lawpath CEO Dominic Woolrych said: “In a trend that bucks the curve, Lawpath has seen an increase in sales and clients over the last few weeks. As clients start to look for remote legal solutions and alternatives to their traditional legal providers, we have seen enquiries, conversions and sales increase. To this end, we have not made any changes to our partners/practice/executives’ jobs or salaries as of yet.”
Hive Legal associate principal Melissa Lyon said that her firm is finding that “some of our more innovative legal service offerings including virtual support for our clients through our HiveGC+ model is providing a good option for clients which are now having to work remotely themselves”.
